Ministry of Health to develop the national health policy

Memorandum of Understanding
This Memorandum of Understanding is between
Heartfile Heartfile, the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization
On
Developing a Health Policy scaffold based on the Gateway Paper’s approach to health systems

This MOU builds further on the Ministry of Health and WHO’s membership in the Heartfile-hosted Health Policy Think Tank/Forum and their participation in its recent strategic deliberations.The context of this stems from the first publication of Pakistan’s Health Policy Think Tank/Forum – the Gateway Paper entitled “Health Systems in Pakistan: a Way Forward” and the strategy articulated therein, which has been recognized as a model for developing a new National Health Policy. It is envisaged that in addition to the health systems dimension and expanding health to an inter-sectoral scope, this will also clarify federal, provincial, and district level roles, responsibilities and prerogatives in health care delivery.Within this context, the objective of this MOU is to develop a partnership between Heartfile, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to develop a National Health Policy based on the Gateway Papers approach to health systems.
The roles and responsibilities of the partners are articulated hereunder:

Heartfile will:

Take a lead role in the process of developing the Gateway Health Policy Scaffold; assume responsibility for analysis and interpretation and the articulation of a policy framework linking-in with the Gateway Paper approach to health systems;

utilize its secretariat to logistically support this process;

solicit inputs from members of the Health Policy Think Tank/Forum; and

Authorize use of Heartfile and Pakistan’s Health Policy Forums logos on approved materials.

The Ministry of Health will:

Anchor the process of institutionalizing the Gateway Health Policy once developed and garner institutional support for the new policy;

as appropriate, co-host meetings, participate in the consultative process and solicit participation and concurrence of stakeholders and provide logistic support to this activity;

authorize use of logo(s) on approved materials.

World Health Organization will:

Play the role of a neutral intermediary and provide technical inputs to the consultative process;

provide logistic support to this activity as mutually acceptable; and

authorize use of logo(s) on approved materials.

President Heartfile commits to contributing time voluntarily to anchor this process in national interest.

This MOU also expresses the intent of the partners to engage in mutually synergistic activities to advance the common cause of improving health outcomes on a long term basis, as may be mutually agreed.

In witness whereof, this MOU is signed the day and year first above written